Anna Starkey

Anna Starkey, a writer, helped students run experiments regarding physics.

 

Why did you decide to become an Ambassador?

Because I think there is a lack of good communicators in physics and I really enjoy talking about the subject.I love to talk to as many people as I can! I think it is very important for people to have as many routes to exploring ideas in physics as they can.

On average, how much time do you commit to STEM Ambassador activities?

I do a handful of activities a year.

Describe the latest activity you were involved in.

I gave a short presentation to a group of yr 8 students and then helped with some hands on experiments. This was part of a day’s workshop run by Into University and Imperial College.

What was your role in this activity? What were you responsible for?

Speaker - I gave an introduction to particle physics.
Experiment assistant - worked with a group of students, helping them to understand and carry out two experiments.

What do you feel were the positive outcomes for the pupils and teaching staff?

I think that the pupils benefitted from hearing about an exciting area of science that they would not normally hear people talk about, and have the chance to ask questions about. I think it provided a positive link to research being done at Imperial College, which was the purpose of their day’s workshop, to introduce them to the idea of going to university.

What do you feel were the positive outcomes for yourself?

I have mostly done my talks to high achieving, white middle class students, and this was a great chance for me to interact with a group from a much more mixed background. I also found working with students one on one in the experiments to be a very positive experience, and they were making inventive suggestions that were beyond what had been given to them on the worksheets.

Do you have any tips for future STEM Ambassadors?

If doing a session as part of a day’s workshop, it is useful to spend a little time in the room with the students before your session, to gauge the ability/behaviour/concentration levels!